Boothbay Harbor is a friendly town with a lot of things to do and see, especially during the summer months. That's why we get an influx of tourists every year. It seems that this summer, as compared to last summer, of course, with the pandemic, there are people everywhere.

Even though many of our visitors will not read this column, I still have to make a plea for using our sidewalks and crosswalks, as opposed to just crossing the street whenever the mood strikes, or walking down a street opposite our sidewalks. It's for your safety.

A recent case in point: I was driving on Commercial Street and took a left onto the By-way. A woman had started walking in the middle of the By-way. I am glad I saw her before I rounded the corner because she evidently didn't see or hear me. After tooting my horn – not once, but four times – she finally realized that I was right behind her and she veered off toward the sidewalk. The people on the sidewalk were laughing at the situation. Yes, I was going slow, having dealt with the path and summertime situation many times, but what if someone else not familiar with the road came around the corner too fast? Or what if she had reversed direction?

It is a wonder more people are not hit by cars, especially in the downtown area, in the summertime.

We have parking enforcement. I hope it doesn't come to hiring someone to enforce jaywalking. We want to remain a friendly and safe place.

Be courteous, people. Use our sidewalks and crosswalks.